Dallas, some pretty nice swarms you got going on there. I guess in your climate the bees will stay in the tree for longer because of heat? I can't tell if you are kidding or not about the bees hanging around while you build boxes :roll: HOw on earth do you get them down out of a tree so tall. Good luck. Have a wonderful day, best of this beautiful life. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

i don't know how you "train" them dallas, but my menthor told me, the best way to let them know-not to land high in trees is, to get a cain and walk around the hives a few times all bent over. that way they know they have to be good to ya. :-D

Ha, just as I figured. You are all nuts :-D In all reality, Dallas, tell me the truth!!!!! Always have this beautiful day to be yours to hold in the palm of your hand, we can do that, we can all be happy, happy, happy. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

1. I know you've said you keep all your colonies on pallets, you put the trees and all on them as well?

2. Do you subscribe to the logic of over-supering or under-supering when adding empty hive boxes to these swarms?

3. When you do mite drop counts, do you have to compensate for the wind?

4. Using tree swarms you are almost always on the move and must use migratory tops don't you?

5. Do you paint your swarm trees or do you leave them to weather "naturally"?

6. Do you have any pointers for starters like Cindi that might want to use your "trees until boxes" method?

I'm impressed, I get nose bleeds from step ladders and so I could never utilize a method like this - Kudos my friend! Now if we can only get ABJ or Bee Culture to endorse writing an article we might get somewhere. Charles Martin Simon embraces backward beekeeping, I think you're leaps head of him by not even using hive boxes! I know financing is everything to good research, I'm thinking about giving $20 to my local community college to look into this!

[I like Mici's idea about the cane.... ]But what if we strapped you in wheel chair and dipped you in honey? I bet those bees would come right out of that tree!

May you have the bestest beautiful life with the hip happiest sunshiny, sun beating down on your face, grass under your toes, breeze your back, oceans breaking on the beach while enjoying a picnic with John's brunette mistress from Hooters kind of day!

-Jeff

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There is nothing new under the sun. Only your perspective changes to see it anew.

May you have the bestest beautiful life with the hip happiest sunshiny, sun beating down on your face, grass under your toes, breeze your back, oceans breaking on the beach while enjoying a picnic!-Jeff

Well, I must say, that sounds like the most beautiful experience that one could ever imagine. Now, you have the most wonderful day, your adjectives are lovely. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

with swarm season coming up just wanted to share some techniques. :evil:

Hey Dallas, how can you tell when them trees are ready for swarm catchin'? I heard the bark sometimes will turn a different color to let you know that swarm season is just around the corner, is that about right?

When a swarm hangs out on trunk too long they shed WHITE wax scales.I think the correct answer is WHITE !

-Jeff

Maybe down in Mexico they turn white but never here. Its always the type of tree that picks swarms that matters most when it comes to bark color. I did some research and the oaks in my area that have " the swarm catchin' genes" turn a reddish tan, the red maple swarm trees turn an almost peach like color and my favorite trees, chinese tallows of course turn yellow, but that's only in leap yrs. Hey we're in a leap yr so you bet I will be paying attention to the tallow trees with the yellow trunks!!!

This is a pic of me waiting for this oak to "turn" to its swarm shade. Every yr this same tree catches swarms on March 3. I waited from 6am until right before dark for the tree to turn, which it eventually did, but we didn't have enough light for any proper footage. In case you're wondering, it was a big swarm that showed up, about a 10lber, but that is a story for another time.

This is a pic of me waiting for this oak to "turn" to its swarm shade. Every yr this same tree catches swarms on March 3. I waited from 6am until right before dark for the tree to turn, which it eventually did, but we didn't have enough light for any proper footage. In case you're wondering, it was a big swarm that showed up, about a 10lber, but that is a story for another time.

JP, OK, now I am thinking that you are really telling tall tales.....tree bark turning colour with intention to catch swarms, whatever!!!

In all seriousness, does this phenomenon really occur? I need to hear more about this, this kind of stuff triggers that fascination that comes from the very depths of my soul, and certain things I find so intriguing that I can't stand it!!! Tell more about it.

And if any other forum friends have stuff to add to this intriguing thing, tell the stories, I need to know!!!! Have the most beautiful and awesome day, lovin' this great life we're livin'!!!!! Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

[...it was a big swarm that showed up, about a 10lber, but that is a story for another time.]

HEHEHHEH...Yeah, perhaps when you sober up and stop exaggerating the weight!

"Its the great pumpkin Charlie Brown - you block head!"

-JEFF

Ok, Jeff you got me there, it was really more like 9lbs was just trying to supe the event up a little and 10 lbs sounds better than 9. It was a tough one though, a 9lb swarm is a large cluster of bees now, took two full deeps to house them.